Events in San Francisco: Dates, Itinerary & Tickets Price(January Updated)

San Francisco's light festival reaches its peak during the holiday season, when Illuminate SF™ blankets the city in epic outdoor light installations. From the day after Thanksgiving through the end of January, dozens of site-specific artworks by renowned artists from around the world will be displayed across San Francisco's neighborhoods. Some are permanent installations that have become recognizable landmarks of the city. Others are ephemeral, one-off creations that astound visitors with their complexity. Best of all, most of the artworks are free to view. ILLUMINATE SF™ celebrates San Francisco's growing light art scene and its culture of creativity and innovation. Presented by the San Francisco Tourism Association in partnership with local civic and cultural partners, the program showcases San Francisco's public light art installations, many of which are free and accessible via public transportation.

KAWS: FAMILY explores the playful and poignant artistic universe created by KAWS. Marking KAWS’s first major museum exhibition on the West Coast, KAWS: FAMILY traces the artist’s output over the past three decades through its keen ability to connect to shared emotions and culture. From paintings, drawings, and sculptures to advertising interventions, product collaborations, and limited-edition collectible toys, visitors will encounter the many creative expressions of KAWS’s distinctive language using recurring characters and pop culture appropriations. At the heart of the exhibition is FAMILY (2021), a larger-than-life bronze sculpture that portrays KAWS’s beloved characters COMPANION, BFF, and CHUM grouped as an intimate family unit. Through their gestures of closeness and vulnerability, visitors can see themselves reflected in these figures, creating a shared sense of kinship and empathy. Borrowing from popular animated characters and cultural icons, KAWS’s characters recontextualize familiar imagery, creating a dialogue around cultural memory and contemporary life.

Information Source: SF Sketchfest | eventbrite

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, ranked among the world's top ten parades by the International Festivals and Events Association, is one of the few remaining nighttime illuminated parades in North America and the largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia. The Chinese community in San Francisco initiated the Chinese New Year celebration and parade in the 1860s to promote Chinese culture within the community. Today, it has developed into the largest Asian cultural celebration outside of Asia. The parade has been organized and hosted by the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce since 1958.

Information Source: Bay Area Brewers Guild | eventbrite

The Illuminate SF Festival of Light transforms San Francisco into a luminous wonderland from November 28, 2025, through January 31, 2026, offering a serene yet captivating experience for all who wander its streets. Featuring over 60 dazzling light installations scattered throughout the city, this festival invites visitors to craft a personalized art walk, weaving through vibrant neighborhoods and iconic waterfronts alike. From the glowing sculptures that brighten the Mission District to the mesmerizing displays along the Embarcadero, the event casts San Francisco in an entirely new glow. While many installations remain illuminated year-round, the festival’s full splendor truly comes alive during the holiday season, creating an atmosphere that’s both reflective and inspiring. As a hallmark event, the Illuminate SF Festival of Light not only highlights innovative artistry but also celebrates the city’s unique spirit, making it an essential wintertime attraction for locals and tourists seeking a calm yet enchanting cultural experience.

San Francisco Sketchfest is a renowned comedy festival founded in 2001 that focuses on showcasing the diversity and talent of the comedy community. The event, which is usually held in January each year, lasts for several weeks and includes improv, stand-up, comedy theater, film screenings, live podcast recordings, and special events that pay tribute to classic comedy and comedy celebrities. Sketchfest brings together comedians, writers, and performers from all over the world, including well-known stars and emerging talents. Many participants come from television shows (such as Saturday Night Live or The Daily Show), the podcast world, and the film industry. The event's atmosphere is very relaxed and inclusive, attracting audiences of all ages and comedic tastes. In addition, it provides opportunities to interact with comedians, such as Q&A sessions or workshops, giving audiences a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes process of comedy creation. For comedy fans and creators, San Francisco Sketchfest is a can't-miss event.

Information Source: SF Sketchfest | eventbrite

Information Source: Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund | eventbrite

Kara Walker has long been recognized for her incisive examinations of the dynamics of power and the exploitation of race and sexuality. Her work leverages expressions of fantasy and humor to confront troubling histories and dominant narratives, repossessing control in the process. Inspired by a wide range of sources, from antique dolls to Octavia Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower, Walker’s new commission, Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine), considers the memorialization of trauma, the objectives of technology, and the possibilities of transforming the negative energies that plague contemporary society. Here, automatons trapped in a never-ending cycle of ritual and struggle are repositories of the human soul. They recall mechanized medieval icons that evidenced divinity, vitality, and the promise of faith. Situated within an energetically charged field of black obsidian from Mt. Konocti in Lake County — a volcanic glass with deep spiritual properties — Walker’s Gardeners evoke wonder, reflection, respite, and hope. Just past this prophetic vignette, the installation’s namesake, Fortuna, responds to each visitor with a choreographed gesture and a printed fortune fresh from her mouth — an offering of absolution and contemplation.